Stephen Curry leaves Daniel Padilla speechless, basketball fans roaring at MOA arena in 1-day Manila visit

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry left the Philippines wanting for more of him, and indeed, he said this will not be his last trip to the country as he finished his one-day only trip to Manila for his Under Armour promotional tour on September 5, Saturday.

He capped the day with a media question and answer at Raffles hotel in Makati followed by an exhibition game with selected high school cagers at the Mall of Asia Arena in the afternoon. Philippine actor and teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla had a meet-and-greet with him in a VIP lounge at Raffles Makati. “That might have been the first time, I’m guessing, he was speechless”, said Curry in the media press conference. It was reported recently that Stephen Curry surprisingly  followed Daniel Padilla on Twitter because the actor posted his collection of the champion layers’ signature shoes and merchandise.

Asked by this reporter if there is pressure going into the regular season being the efending champion and reigning MVP, the baby-faced Curry said “We feel like we’re still the team to beat. It’s going to be a different challenge for us. We’ve never defended an NBA championship before so it will be a new experience for us. All eyes are on our team and every other team is trying to knock us off our throne, so we have to be even better than we were last year to get back to the top.”

Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II or popularly known as Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988. He is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6’ 3” tall, Curry plays the point guard position and is considered by some to be the one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.  The 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player and a two-time NBA All-Star, is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. In this year’s NBA finals, Curry carried his team into the championship, something that the Golden State Warriors franchise hasn’t repeated since 1975.

‘Mighty Mouse’ Aljun Jay Melecio slams his way in SLAM Rising Stars Challenge

Come March 29, Sunday, De La Salle Zobel’s star point guard Aljon Jay Melecio is set to participate in the 2nd annual SLAM Philippines’ Rising Stars Challenge featuring the top 24 high school athletes in Philippine basketball today. It will be held at the Gatorade Center in Mandaluyong City at 7:00 pm.

Born Aljun Jay Melecio on July 25, 1998 in Valencia City, Bukidnon to Mr. Bajun Melecio and Ms. Jocelyn Melecio, the 5-foot-9 point guard from De La Salle Zobel plays for the Junior Archers and was recently named as a member of the Mythical five in the UAAP season 77 juniors tournament. Aside from that prestigious award, he also became the MVP of the 2012 Junior NBA.

His career high in points is 69 when he was in grade 7 in Lourdes against CSA for the PSBL tournament. His pre-game ritual is praying before the game. If there is an NBA player whom he wants to play one-on-one with, it would be Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “He is my idol and I like his moves”, quipped Aljun.

His favorite shot is isolation and pull up 3. For him to be fit into the game that requires strength, he prefers food rich in carbohydrates and light food when it’s game time. His favorite NBA player is Kyrie Irving, while in the UAAP, he looks up to season 77 MVP and Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena.

His ambition in life is to be a professional basketball player and a future Engineer. “It’s hard to be a student athlete but education is really important but I make sure to catch up with my lessons”, said Aljun Melecio of the Junior Archers.

* photo courtesy of SLAM Philippines

email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

Aljun Jay ‘Mighty Mouse’ Melecio: One of the most entertaining point guards in UAAP today

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

In basketball, height is might. But this rare find of a basketball player is currently defying that adage.  Well, we might see him in the future as the next Jimmy Alapag of Philippine basketball. His electrifying performance in the recently concluded UAAP season 77 juniors’ tournament speaks volumes of this boy’s offensive prowess.

Born Aljun Jay Melecio on July 25, 1998 in Valencia City, Bukidnon to Mr. Bajun Melecio and Ms. Jocelyn Melecio, the 5-foot-9 point guard from De La Salle Zobel plays for the Junior Archers and was recently named as a member of the Mythical five in the UAAP season 77 juniors tournament. Aside from that prestigious award, he also became the MVP of the 2012 Junior NBA.

His career high in points is 69 when he was in grade 7 in Lourdes against CSA for the PSBL tournament. His pre-game ritual is praying before the game. If there is an NBA player whom he wants to play one-on-one with, it would be Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers. “He is my idol and I like his moves”, quipped Aljun.

His favorite shot is isolation and pull up 3. For him to be fit into the game that requires strength, he prefers food rich in carbohydrates and light food when it’s game time. His favorite NBA player is Kyrie Irving, while in the UAAP, he looks up to season 77 MVP and Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena.

His ambition in life is to be a professional basketball player and a future Engineer. “It’s hard to be a student athlete but education is really important but I make sure to catch up with my lessons”, said Aljun Melecio of the Junior Archers.

• Photo Credits to Gil Salandanan.
• Email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com